30 Dec NAVIGATING NEW YEAR’S EVE OFFICE PARTIES ACCORDING TO HALACHA

How should a
person act if he
works in an office
that holds a New
Year’s Eve party?
Is he permitted to
attend if he eats
only kosher food and drinks only kosher
beverages? How should he respond if the
company expects his participation?
The Gemara states (Avodah Zarah 8a): “Jews
outside the Land of Israel engage in idolatry in
purity. How so? Akum who makes a feast for
his son and invites the Jews of his city—even
though they eat their own food, drink their
own drinks, and their own waiter stands before
them—Torah considers it as though they ate
from offerings of Avoda Zara, as it says
(Shemot 34:15): ‘and he will invite you, and
you will eat of his sacrifice.”
Rashi explains the phrase “engage in idolatry
in purity” to mean without intention and
without paying attention. That is, their intent
is not to worship idolatry at all; they are
merely eating. Nevertheless, they are
considered as though they engaged in idolatry.
The early authorities disagreed as to the nature

of the prohibition:
a. Rashi (Shemot 34:15), writes: “Do you
think there is no punishment for eating? I
consider it as though you acknowledged their
worship, for as a result you will come to take
their daughters for your sons.” According to
Rashi, eating at their feast is considered an
acknowledgment of idolatry. Our Sages taught
(Sifri, Bamidbar 15:22) that whoever
acknowledges idolatry is considered as though
he denies the entire Torah.
b. According to the Ritva, it is considered as
though one eats offerings dedicated to idolatry.
He writes: “Even nowadays it is prohibited,
and we do not take enmity (איבה (into account,
since it is a Torah prohibition, as though one
eats offerings to idolatry.”
c. According to the Rashba, it falls under the
prohibition of “it shall not be heard upon your
mouth.” He writes: “Specifically to eat with
him, because he goes and gives thanks through
the feast and the meal.”
d. The Ramban explains the plain meaning of
the pasuk as a warning against forming a
covenant with them. Such a covenant may
lead to actual consumption of offerings to
idolatry. According to his explanation, the

pasuk warns not to make a covenant
with the inhabitants of the land, lest
they invite you to eat of their
sacrifices offered to their gods, and
there is also concern lest you take
their daughters for your sons.
E. Rabbi Yonatan of Lunil held that
the prohibition of eating at their feast
is because it honors idolatry. He
writes: “ ‘Engaging in idolatry in
purity’—that is, honoring idolatry,
for they eat and drink with them on
their festival day or on the day they
make a feast for their sons… it is
prohibited because of the honor
shown to idolatry.”
According to all these early
authorities, this is a Torah-level
prohibition, and therefore there is no
basis to permit it. Accordingly, one
must question the later authorities who discuss
permitting it in cases of enmity, such as when
one is invited to a celebration with non-Jewish
colleagues at work and the like.
The Drishah raised this question and wrote (Y.
D. §152): “It requires study whether here too it
is permitted because of enmity to rejoice with
them, as was written earlier that with an
acquaintance it is permitted to rejoice
because it is considered flattery, even though
there is a great prohibition since it is on their
festival day; or perhaps this case is different,
since it is derived from a pasuk.”
The Taz strongly rejected this and wrote that
there is absolutely no permission here: “I am
astonished at so great a scholar [Drisha] who
would be uncertain about this, for this is
explicit in the pasuk from which it is derived:
‘and he will invite you, and you will eat of
his sacrifice,’ and the beginning of that verse
states: ‘lest you make a covenant with the
inhabitants of the land and they go astray
after their daughters.’ The Torah commanded
that we have enmity toward them in order to
distance ourselves from their daughters—so
how can we permit this because of enmity?
We find permission because of enmity only
where the mitzvah exists for another reason,
such as earlier in §148, where because of the
prohibition of idolatry it is appropriate to
distance oneself in certain matters, and they
permitted some things because of enmity.
But here, where the very essence of the
prohibition of eating is in order that we not
have affection for them, how can we nullify
that itself because of enmity? And even
regarding rabbinic decrees, such as the
prohibition of eating food cooked by Akum,
whose purpose is also to prevent closeness
because of their daughters, it is obvious that
there is no permission because of enmity.”
Regarding Ishmaelites, who are not idol
worshippers, there would appear to be room

for leniency, as suggested in Zichronu
LaChaim and in Ḥesed LeAvraham (Y. D. 26).
R. Ovadia Yosef wrote that since the
underlying reason for the prohibition is
intermarriage, it must be prohibited even with
Ishmaelites.
Conclusion:
It is prohibited to participate in a celebration
hosted by Akum, even if one eats only kosher
food there. No distinction is made between
idolaters and non-idolaters. However, if the
gathering is not a celebratory event but merely
a simple meal, it is permitted. If one must
participate, he should attend just to show his
presence, being careful not to eat or drink,
greet only those who require it, and then leave.
Can one participate without eating or
drinking?
In Chochmat Adam (klal 87, se’if 5) writes: “It
is forbidden to stroll and watch their
celebration, and each person must be careful
not to watch their festivities, dancing, or any
display of their joy, as it is stated: ‘Do not
rejoice, O Israel…’ And if you hear that they
are celebrating and rejoicing, you should sigh
and grieve over the destruction.”
Thus, if one must participate, he should try to
stay as little as possible and avoid deriving
any enjoyment from the party.
Can a company composed entirely of Jews
hold a party on January 1st, since they all
have the day off from work?
R. Moshe Feinstein (Igrot Moshe, E. H. II, no.
13) wrote that it is prohibited to schedule a
party on the festival days of non-Jews. He
distinguished between a case where the party
is intentionally set because it is their festival
day—in which case the prohibition applies by
strict law due to the prohibition of “You shall
not follow their statutes,”—and a case where
it is not set intentionally for that reason, in
which case it is prohibited due to mar’it ayin
(appearance).